SEMYON ALEXEYEVICH BARMOTIN
(1877–1939)

20 PRELUDES, OP. 12
TEMA CON VARIAZIONI, OP. 1

CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMS

‘The piano music of Semyon Barmotin will seem wonderfully familiar to fans of his contemporary, Sergey Rachmaninov, with its richly layered textures and expansive harmonies, coupled with flowing, romantic melodies. Like Chopin’s Op. 28 Preludes, each piece has its own world and character. With its slowly spread chords, Prelude No. 1 feels like turning the pages of a book, as if the opening chapter to a great novel; the second has a texture like running water which twists and turns around the melodies; and the last prelude could be the opening theme for the next science fiction blockbuster. Listen closely and you’ll hear a conspicuous balalaika in the coda of the fifth variation, whilst the sixth wouldn’t seem out of place accompanying a scene in a Charlie Chaplin film. The vastly ranging styles and emotions make this music instantly accessible, and like all great music, repeated listening offers new insights and enjoyment.’

– Christopher Williams

WATCH VIDEO TRAILER
BARMOTIN, S.: 20 Preludes, Op. 12 / Theme and Variations, Op. 1
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Semyon Alexeyevich Barmotin

About this Recording

Semyon Alexeyevich Barmotin (1877–1939) was a student of Balakirev and Rimsky-Korsakov, and his fate under the Soviet regime in the 1930s remains a mystery, but what survives of his music is impressive in both scale and content. These world première recordings are filled with colour and contrast: the Tema con variazioni transforms its material into a multitude of moods to conclude in a symphonic march, while the 20 Preludes are striking in their sophisticated harmonies and heightened emotional impact.

20 PRELUDES, OP. 12 (50:16)
Book I
1
No. 1 in B flat minor: Adagietto con dolore (02:48)
2
No. 2 in G flat major: Allegretto con dolce maniera (02:52)
3
No. 3 in G sharp minor: Moderato con morbidezza (02:13)
4
No. 4 in E major: Andantino (04:10)
5
No. 5 in C sharp minor: Moderato con spirito (02:54)
Book II
6
No. 6 in F sharp minor: Allegro ma non tanto (01:44)
7
No. 7 in D major: Andante affettuoso (01:57)
8
No. 8 in G major: Allegro con grazia (03:47)
9
No. 9 in G minor: Andantino cantabile (02:13)
10
No. 10 in D minor: Allegro moderato con spirito (03:45)
Book III
11
No. 11 in B flat major: Adagietto con anima (02:02)
12
No. 12 in F minor: Vivace con impeto (01:51)
13
No. 13 in D flat major: Andante religioso – Un poco più lento – Tempo I (04:05)
14
No. 14 in A major: Allegro con agilita (01:57)
15
No. 15 in B minor: Andante con molto espressione (01:49)
Book IV
16
No. 16 in E minor: Allegro assai – Andantino – Tempo I (02:14)
17
No. 17 in A flat major: Andante cantabile (02:16)
18
No. 18 in C major: Moderato – Allegro moderato (01:26)
19
No. 19 in C minor: Larghetto con tristezza (02:06)
20
No. 20 in E flat major: Tempo di Marcia (01:31)
TEMA CON VARIAZIONI, OP. 1 (26:49)
21
Theme: Andantino cantabile (01:42)
22
Variation 1: Allegro (01:17)
23
Variation 2: Andantino (01:30)
24
Variation 3: Presto assai (00:24)
25
Variation 4: Andantino con anima (02:45)
26
Variation 5: Moderato (02:49)
27
Variation 6: Andantino – Allegretto con amabilita – Andantino –
Allegretto con amabilita – Andantino (02:27)
28
Variation 7: Allegro ma non troppo (01:22)
29
Variation 8: Valse: Tempo di Valse (01:47)
30
Variation 9: Mazurka: Andantino (02:41)
31
Variation 10: Andante maestoso – Andantino cantabile –
Andante maestoso (03:00)
32
Variation 11: Andante (01:52)
33
Variation 12: Finale: Tempo di Marcia (03:13)
WORLD PREMIÈRE RECORDING

TOTAL TIME: 77:49

Listen to an excerpt from Prelude No. 1, Op. 12
Christopher Williams

Christopher Williams

Christopher Williams is a music graduate of Cardiff University and now leads a busy and varied professional life as a pianist, composer, conductor, teacher and arranger. He is currently assistant director of the BBC National Chorus of Wales and is a pianist for the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, with whom he has performed at the BBC Proms and recorded for the Chandos and Hyperion labels. In addition to his work as a soloist, Williams is in great demand as an accompanist and chamber musician, and has partnered many of the prominent instrumentalists of his generation including Philippe Schartz, Tim Thorpe, David Childs, David Pyatt and Tine Thing Helseth. He has also appeared on BBC TV and been broadcast on BBC Radio and Radio Luxembourg. His recording of Brahms transcriptions for Grand Piano was featured as album of the week on NDR Kultur.

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